Door lock striker



Oct. 31; 1967 -J. E. MARTENS DOOR LOCK STRIKER Filed May :5, 1966 :WENTOR. JACK E. MAETEN5 fill ATT RNEY United States Patent 3,350,128 DOOR LOCK STRH ER Jack E. Martens, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., assignor to American Motors Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Maryland Filed May 3, 1966, Ser. No. 547,257 4 Claims. (Cl. 292341.12)

This invention relates generally to door locks for vehicles and more particularly to an improvement for increased striker durability and quieter operation when used in conjunction with the latch of the door lock.

The rotary bolt type door latch heretofore prevalent in the automotive industry has lost favor due to the tendency of the short gear tooth to move out of the associated, body mounted, rack striker when the vehicle is involved in a collision. Consequently, the fork type latch having elongated tines or forks for engaging a generally cylindrical striker therebetween and the double jawed type latch which squeezes a similar, resilient striker have come into use. The double jawed type latch, although more complicated, permits the elimination of the floating wedge for door take up generally usedgwith fork type latches.

The striker used with either the fork type or double jawed latch usually includes a cylindrical shaft which is encircled with a resilient sleeve. One type striker has a longitudinally split metal sleeve surrounding the resilient sleeve which can be compressed to eliminate the aforementioned wedge. Generally, the split sleeve must be anchored by a suitable lug extension to prevent rotation and the resulting noise when struck by the latch. The striker used with the fork type latch normally does not include a split sleeve but substitutes therefor a solid metal sleeve which in conjunction with the resilient sleeve reduces the noise caused by metal-to-metal contact of latch to striker.

Whether the outer metal sleeve of the striker is split or solid, substantial noise still results. In addition, both sleeves eventually deform or bend longitudinally in the latching operation, which always occurs at the same point, further increasing the noise level. Extensive hardening of the sleeves to reduce the deformation, besides being expensive, accentuates the noise problem.

Applicant has developed a striker incorporating an outer metal sleeve which consists of preferably a coil spring of rectangular cross section which is tightly wound around the length of the resilient sleeve. The spring, since compressed longitudinally between a safety collar and a shoulder of the striker extending from the door opening, does not generally rotate when struck by the latch. Should rotation of the sleeve occur, the striker could be made of an oval configuration to retard same. This configuration would also provide added strength due to the increased cross sectional area.

Applicants striker, which can be used with either fork type or double jawed latches, has only the spring coils in contact therewith compressed in essentially shear into the resilient sleeve. The other coils are unaffected by the latching operation. As a consequence, permanent deformation is eliminated and the noise resulting therefrom is substantially reduced.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved door lock striker.

Another object of this invention is to provide a door lock striker of increased durability.

Another object of this invention is to provide a door lock striker which is resiliently deformable only where engaged by the lock latch for a lower noise level.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent 3,350,128 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 from the following description in conjunction with the attached drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the left front vehicle door lock looking from the front of the vehicle rearward. The vehicle door is removed and the front latch cover is partially removed in the interest of clarity:

FIGURE 2 is a section taken along line 22 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view partially in section of the striker shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the striker shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an end view with the safety collar removed of another embodiment of the striker.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2, 10 indicates generally a door lock for a vehicle 11. Door lock 10 is composed of latch assembly 12 enclosed in the vehicle door 13 and a striker or keeper assembly 14 conventionally mounted on a pillar of vehicle 11. The latch assembly 12 shown is of the fork variety although it is to be understood a double jawed type latch could also be utilized with Striker 14.

Latch assembly 12 includes a rotor 15 rotatably mounted thereon having elongated tines or forks 1'6 and 18 for engaging therebetween striker 14. Rotor 15 also has detents 19 and 20 and stop 21. Detent 19 is engaged by rotatably mounted latch pawl 22 in the fully latched position while detent 20 provides an intermediate position. Rotor 15 is restrained from further movement by stop 21 and by pawl 22 in conjunction with front latch cover 23. Spring 24 maintain contact between rotor 15 and pawl 22. Contactor 25 which has a surface 26 for contact and actuation by the outer push button door handle (not shown) is rotatably mounted on latch 12 for movement of pawl 22 to open latch 12 and therefore lock 10. Contactor 25 also has an arm 28 for latch actuation by an inside remote control lever (not shown).

Locking latch 10 to striker 14 is accomplished by a conventional locking lever and a cancelling lever (not shown) pivotally mounted on the rear of front cover 23 which block movement of contaetor 25 when actuated by a key operated actuator or an inside actuator (not shown).

Latch 12 also has a pin 28 mounted in cover 23. Movably mounted on pin 28 is wedge 29. Spring 30 in conjunction with wedge 29 resists movement of latch 12 to striker 14 thereby taking up production tolerances in the vehicle door hinges to eliminate rattles.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, striker assembly 14 includes shaft 31 having external threads 32 for engagement with the pillar of vehicle 11. Shaft 31 also has a shoulder 34 for contact with the vehicle pillar. Surrounding shaft 31 adjacent shoulder 34 is sleeve 35 made of neoprene or other resilient material. On the end shaft 31 remote from thread 32 is external threads portion 36. Safety collar 38 is threaded onto thread 36 of shaft 31 and locked thereto. Collar 38 prevents movement of the rotor 15 of latch 12 longiutdinally relative to shaft 31 of striker assembly 14 in the event of door collapse or pillar collapse during collision of vehicle 11.

Located between safety collar 38 and shoulder 34 and confined therebetween and surrounding sleeve 35 is coil spring 39. Coil spring 39 preferably has square ends and is of rectangular cross section.

FIGURE 5 discloses another embodiment wherein the major portion of shaft 31 and the associated sleeve 35 and spring 39 are of generally an oval configuration.

In operation, as fork 18 of rotor 15 contacts the spring 39 enclosed portion of striker 14, the spring coils in contact therewith are resiliently compressed into neoprene sleeve 35 substantially reducing the noise of metal-tometal contact. The non-contacted coils of spring 39 are unaffected and thus not deformed. In latched position,

Wedge 29 maintains fork 16 of rotor 15 tightly against the coils of spring 39 in contact therewith. If desired, rotor 15 could have a predetermined gripping span between forks 16 and 18 to squeeze striker 14 to eliminate Wedge 29. However, for secure engagement of latch 12 and striker 14, the striker should be contacted at its upper extremity by rotor 15 which requires unjustifiable and expensive close tolerances.

Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A striker adapted for engagement by the latch of a vehicle door lock comprising:

(a) a member comprising a rigid shaft peripheral and longitudinally extending surface having means at one end for attachment to a support;

(b) shoulder means spaced longitudinally of said Shaft;

(c) a sleeve of resilient material extending between said shoulders and encompassing said surface of said member;

(d) a spring having a plurality of coils encompassing said sleeve, coils of said plurality being adapted upon engagement by the latch therewith of being compressed into said resilient sleeve.

2. The striker of claim 1 in which said peripheral surface is of generally circular configuration.

3. The striker of claim 2 in which said coils of said spring are of generally rectangular cross section.

4. A striker adapted for engagement by the latch of a velncle door lock comprising:

(a) a member comprising a rigid shaft peripheral and longitudinally extending surface, said peripheral surface being of generally oval configuration and having means at one end for attachment to a support;

(b) shoulder means spaced longitudinally of said shaft;

(c) a sleeve of resilient material extending between said shoulders and encompassing said surface of said member;

((1) a spring having a plurality of coils encompassing said sleeve, coils of said plurality being adapted upon engagement by the latch therewith of being compressed into said resilient sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,255 4/1918 Anklam 229-203 2,436,552 2/1948 Cooper l6120 2,987,336 6/1961 Kramer 292341.12 3,171,677 3/1965 Klore 292-216 3,190,682 6/1965 Fox 292216 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRIKER ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT BY THE LATCH OF A VEHICLE DOOR LOCK COMPRISING: (A) A MEMBER COMPRISING A RIGID SHAFT PERIPHERAL AND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING SURFACE HAVING MEANS AT ONE END FOR ATTACHEMENT TO A SUPPORT; (B) SHOULDER MEANS SPACED LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID SHAFT; (C) A SLEEVE A RESILIENT MATERIAL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SHOULDERS AND ENCOMPASSING SAID SURFACE OF SAID MEMBER; (D) A SPRING HAVING A PLURALITY OF COILS ENCOMPASSING SAID SLEEVE, COILS OF SAID PLURALITY BEING ADAPTED UPON ENGAGEMENT BY THE LATCH THEREWITH OF BEING COMPRESSED INTO SAID RESILIENT SLEEVE. 